Intravenous administration sets which are useful for infusing medical treatment fluids to a patient are well known and widely used. In the most simple configuration, the intravenous fluid administration set includes a fluid source, an intravenous line connecting the fluid source to the patient, and a device operatively associated with the intravenous line to influence the rate of fluid flow to the patient. Flow rate control devices are characterized as either pumps or controllers. Controllers rely on gravity for the flow of treatment fluid through the system, while pumps exert an electro-mechanical force on the fluid to establish a fluid flow.
Pumps are often preferred because they can deliver higher pressures and can accurately deliver a wide range of flow rates. However, pumps have some inherent disadvantages which render them less than ideal, e.g., cost, complexity, size, and (lack of) mobility. There is, therefore, a need for pumps which are relatively small and simple to operate, yet which are relatively accurate and reliable (and which preferably utilize a minimum number of components in the fluid containment and delivery set thereof). The ability to produce such a pump which is portable and which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture would be beneficial in the field of medical treatment fluid delivery, especially in the home care setting.